The Commissioner for Rural Development, Lagos State, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, says parents and the government must collaborate to encourage youths to embrace agriculture so as to end the unemployment problem and bring back agro-economy in the country.

Ojelabi said this on Thursday in Ikeja while recounting the achievement of his ministry in the last one year.

The commissioner, who said the government was already doing what it could to revive agriculture, added that farmlands had been established at Idoluwo-Ile in Otto Awori, Epe and other rural communities.

He said, “Our ministry took steps to promote cassava cultivation in rural areas, including Idoluwo- Ile. The aim was to promote and empower rural youths in profitable farming and processing. We also established preservation and processing facility to preserve fish in Epe.

“But all these will work more if the parents also encourage their children to farm instead of coming to the city to look for work. Agriculture sustained the nation’s economy before the advent of oil. But parents need to work with the government to bring back agriculture and end unemployment.”

The commissioner added that the ministry also worked to make life better for the rural people by providing basic amenities. He said 74 micro water projects were executed in the rural communities in the last one year.

He said the state distributed 15 transformers to 15 communities, while some rural electrification projects were carried out in communities that had not been reached by power generation and distribution firms.

He said, “The ministry was able to execute 24 rural electrification projects. In addition, the second phase installation of 40 transformers, executed through the intervention of members of the state House of Assembly for communities in their constituencies, were undertaken during the period.”

He added that the government further boosted security at the grassroots by procuring 11 new patrol vehicles for the state security outfit, Neighbourhood Watch, while 28 patrol vehicles were refurbished, apart from training of officials of the outfit.http://www.punchng.com

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